Reps. Deb Butler, Ted Davis butt heads at legislative breakfast

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — City and state lawmakers gathered in Downtown Wilmington on Monday morning to talk politics over breakfast.

The event was a chance for state Representatives and Senators from New Hanover County to share what they are working on in Raleigh.

“It gives us the opportunity to sit down with them. And tell them what the needs are of the city,” Wilmington Mayor, Bill Saffo said.  “Also gives us the opportunity to hear from them as to what are the challenges from a state level for being able to obtain funding.”

State and city leaders covered issues ranging from film and transportation authority to affordable housing and  education funding.

It was that subject–education funding–which turned out to be a sensitive subject for House Democrat Deb Butler and House Republican Ted Davis.

Tension erupted between the two, as Butler expressed that she does not think education is getting the funding it deserves.

“Representative Davis feels that education is adequately funded in North Carolina. And I do not. We are 46th in the country in per-pupil spending. And that is just a fact that cannot be denied,” Butler said.

Davis disagrees.

“As I told her, the truth is, if you look at federal funding for education in the state, local funding for education in the state, and the state funding in the state–yes, we are at the lower of the 50 states when you figure those three things,” Davis said. “But when you look at what the General Assembly appropriates for K-12 and compare it to the other states in this nation, we’re in the top ten. So we do adequately fund education as far as the state.”

Another major issue discussed by lawmakers on Monday was the county’s growing opioid epidemic. It is a problem which representatives across the board agree needs to be addressed.

$250,000 was proposed for a pilot program to help combat opioid addiction across New Hanover County.

Finally, lawmakers discussed allocating more funds to the Fire Department to support search and rescue missions across the state.